Spring bracing means for bags, etc.



Jan., 23, 1923,

|v|. AXELMAN ET AL.

SPRING BRACING MEANS FOR BAGS, ETC.

ooeaunuounoaonve Patented dan, 23, i923 IVIAYJER AXELIVIAN AND HARRY W. AXELMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLIENOIS.

SFRNG' BRACNG BEEANS FOR BAGS, ETC.

Application filed March 21, 1921. Serial No. 454,267.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, Marini AXELMAN and HARRY l/V. AXELMAN, citizens of the United Statesyand residents of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and lil/tate of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Bracing Means for Bags7 Fte.; and we do hereby de.- clare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to traveling bags in which spring means are utilized to brace the sides of the bag to give it that rigidity and resiliency which increases the life of the bag and preserves its shape, and is an improvement over the structure shown in our ap-plication Serial No. 323,299.

In practice it has been found that where side bracing springs are used that eXtend to the top frame of the bag, the stitching will soon be cut and the bag damaged, as it is constantly opened and closed, and it is the main object of this invention to provide a construction that will obviate this defect. To this end7 our invention comprises the novel features of construction hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention and in which similar reference characters refer to the same feature in the different views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a traveling bag embodying the features of our invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the frame.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line lr-tof Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view of the frame.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side view of the bag with parts removed. y

As shown in the drawings:

ln Figure l, we have shown the outlines of a traveling bag made of leather or the like, in which resilientstrips of steel brace the sides of the bag from the top to the bottom. The mouth of the bag is formed by the usual hinged jaw frame l to? which the body of the bag is sewed or secured. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, this frame comprises a hinged member haring the vertical iiange and the broad horizontal flange 3 which overlaps the narrow horizontal flange l of the other hinged member which is likewise provided with the vertical flange rllhe vertical flanges 2 and 5 are spaced a short distance from the horizontal anges 3 and 4f and secured thereto by clips to allow the bag and frame covering to be sewed to the frame. .Each hinge member is covered with leather or the like; the ends of the leather overlapping at the spacings between the flanges, and the body 6 of the bag is sewed to the covered hinged members so 'that the stitches 7 will pass through the spacings be tween the fianges and the inner part of the covering as clearly shown in Figure 3.

When resilient bracing strips are used in such a traveling bag, the upper ends thereof will lie near the stitchings 7 and when the bag is opened, the upper curvature of the resilient springs where they conform to the curvature of the bag will be straightened to a certain degree, thus forcing the upper ends against the stitchings7 or body of the bag. In order to obviate this defect we provide angled securing clips or strips 8 which act as protectors and which are secured to the vertical flanges of the frame by rivets 9 or the like and extend downwardly along the inner surface of the body of the bag for a short distance and have the upper ends of the springs 10 rest against the inner surface thereof as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The upper ends of the springs 10 can hence terminate a sufficient distance below the angles of the clips so that they will have plenty of room in which to become extended when the bag is opened; the downwardly extending legs of the angle clips preventing the upper ends of the springs from coming into contact with the body of the bag and the angles of the clips positively preventing the said upper ends from coming into contact with the stitching 7 during such opening of the bag. lt should also be noted that as the bag is opened there will be a tendency of the upper ends of the springs 10 to press outwardly and a tendency of the lower free ends of the clips to press inwardly, and that the tendency of one will be resisted by the other, as each abuts against the other, and as there is relative sliding movement between the springs and clips, no part of the bag will be sub-- ject to strain which is an important advantage resulting` from this construction. The angled clips which also may be made of spring or resilient metal serve to brace the upper part of the bag, thus providing two bracing members having relative sliding movement.

The bracing springs 10 may be placed at proper intervals along the sides of the bag; in the present instance we have illustrated them at each end and the middle of the bag, but any number and arrangement may be used. They are preferab-ly sheathed on the inner surface of the body together with the elips'by means of a fabric il or the like which is sewed to the body 6 at each side of a spring as shown in Figure 4t; the ,springs extending to the bottom of the bag to which they may be secured. The usual webbing and lining of the bag conceals the sheathed springs from within and conserves the usual interior appearance.

lVe are aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles vof this invention and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

7e claim as our invention:

l. In a traveling bag having a frame with the body of said bag secured to said frame, resilient bracing strips sheathed to the inner side of said body and terminating short of the juncture of said body and frame, and angle clips secured to the frame at said juncture and overlying said resilient bracing strips.

2. In a traveling bag, a pair of bracing strips sheathed to an inner side thereof and arranged in sliding overlapping relation.

3. In a traveling bag, having a aw frame, a spring bracing strip sheathed to an inner side thereof and having its upper end free, and an angle member secured to said jaw frame and enclosing and overlying the end of said strip.

In testimony whereof we haveA hereunto f subscribed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses:

MAYER AXELMAN. HARRY W. AXELMAN. Witnesses:

SPENCER W. Grens, JAMES M. OBRIEN. 

